Students suspended over making 'twerking' video in school

SAN DIEGO, May 6: A "twerking" video created by

at a San Diego high

went viral last week and the students were suspended for making the dance video and uploading it on YouTube.

The U-T San Diego reports say that school board member Scott Barnett said he wanted the twerking incident and the student punishments be discussed in closed session at Tuesday's board meeting. District officials said it would be placed on the agenda for the May 14 meeting. U-T San Diego reports the students from Scripps Ranch High School might not be able to attend prom or walk during commencement ceremonies.

School board member Kevin Beiser says he was told that 31 students were suspended, including the student who shot the video. It shows students doing the hip-shaking moves of twerking. It was shot and edited on school property.

The students - 28 girls and 3 boys - were suspended from Scripps Ranch Tuesday less than a week after the video appeared on YouTube.

The video apparently violates the school's sexual harassment policy that prohibits verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

The U-T confirmed that students in a broadcast journalism class used school equipment to record and add music to a video of the group of girls twerking while doing handstands.

The district official said it would have been acceptable if the students had been twerking upright but said doing it while doing a handstand was considered inappropriate in an educational setting.

The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the punishment.

"Unfortunately, the administration at Scripps Ranch High School's hasty response to its students' dance video is reflective of a national trend towards unreasonable, overly harsh, and counterproductive disciplinary measures," said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, senior policy advocate for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

"We want young people in school so they can learn and become successful and productive members of the community. What is gained by removing 31 students from the classroom, their prom, and even, possibly, their own graduation? It serves no purpose for the student, the teacher, or the community to keep children from learning."

The video apparently violates the school's sexual harassment policy that prohibits verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Twerking involves the shaking and twisting of hips in a suggestive dance move.

The U-T confirmed that students in a broadcast journalism class used school equipment to record and add music to a video of the group of girls twerking while doing handstands.

The district official said it would have been acceptable if the students had been twerking upright but said doing it while doing a handstand was considered inappropriate in an educational setting.

The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the punishment.

"Unfortunately, the administration at Scripps Ranch High School's hasty response to its students' dance video is reflective of a national trend towards unreasonable, overly harsh, and counterproductive disciplinary measures," said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, senior policy advocate for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

"We want young people in school so they can learn and become successful and productive members of the community. What is gained by removing 31 students from the classroom, their prom, and even, possibly, their own graduation? It serves no purpose for the student, the teacher, or the community to keep children from learning."

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